Soft pink light crept into the abyss of space, finding its way through the colorless void. The pink turned into lapis and deep indigo where it melted into black right in front of the round window.

Kylo had gone for two days on a mission to find San Tekka, who allegedly held knowledge about the location of Luke Skywalker. Athena was left out of it and thankful for having the time to rest.

"Countess?" a familiar voice appeared next to Athena. She recognized her as the young officer named Korr, who had informed her about the outposts earlier.

"Whatever it is, it can wait," Athena muttered. She felt the woman tensing up. Amber eyes looked up to her behind a fringe of chestnut colored hair.

"Uhm… I have other duties awaiting me, ma'am. I'm afraid I can't wait," she answered apologetically, nervously fumbling her uniform. Korr looked so innocent, so timid, Athena wondered how someone like that could become an officer of the First Order.

"Just tell Hux I needed something from you. This phenomenon happens once day for a couple of minutes. I have no idea what it is. I stumbled upon it on the way to my quarters. Maybe there are records about it, but I doubt Hux will let me check them. It's probably a rising star," Athena chuckled. The girl let out her breath, visibly trying to relax.

After a while, the phenomenon slowly faded. The women's reflections stared back at them, the officer, and the apprentice.

"I thought it was brave of you to come here. Desperate, stupid, but brave. You didn't just trade your planets resources, but you knowingly came here to trade your own freedom for peace… that's brave," the officer's words were suddenly coated with ice, harsh for a small woman like her.

Athena's body stiffened All of Korr's timidness seemed to vanish at once.

"You couldn't possibly know what they'd do to you… we presumed the worst. We thought you lost to the enemy."

Athena's skin tingled at the sound of those words. Enemy? She watched her in reflection of the window. From the outside, it seemed so innocent, two women staring into the galaxy. Her heart beat painfully against her chest. But as a politician, she had learned to listen, to wait for the other person to reveal their intentions.

"When outposts reported back, I thought it was a clever tactic. Sending you, giving the systems the false impression of security, making them believe the Order wasn't going to make them suffer. Then the young boys who evaded the trooper program. Another mistake? You must know, no one ever gets reprimanded around here. People who make mistakes are removed."

Athena turned back to her, glancing at her in anger. What was this woman getting into ? Obviously, she wasn't who she pretended to be.

Cold eyes starred daggers back at her. "To me, it seemed obvious that you only slept with him because you had to. But then, I found out Kylo Ren himself covered for your slip ups. And here you are after surviving your own execution," unfazed, Korr continued. Athena took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. Within a few seconds, she put on her indestructible mask of calmness.

"So, what now?" she hissed, lowering her voice. Luckily, no one was coming by or paying attention to them.

"When I was asked if you were useful to the cause, I didn't know the answer. If you died, the Outer Rim could be swayed to fight the First Order after all. But you do have a conscience, somewhere in there. At least, you don't have the stomach to do what the Order needs you to do. What if you didn't give them another weapon? What if you became one against them instead? You are strong enough to kill Kylo Ren."

"Are you out of your mind?" Athena couldn't hold back, she grabbed the small woman by her shoulders, not even capable of holding back her emotions any longer. "You should leave, return to your work and forget this conversation. The Resistance doesn't stand a chance, especially with lousy spies like you. If you even think about lifting a finger against Kylo, you will meet a side of me that knows no mercy. Go and shut your mouth and be happy that I spare your worthless life," Athena growled, violently shaking her before letting her go, stopping before anyone could see them. But there was no fear at all in the brunette's eyes. Instead, her face lit up.

"Sooner or later, you'll have to make a choice, countess," a crooked grin spread across her face before she turned on her heals and fled.

Athena realized all her training had been for nothing, as she had not only just spared the spy but also given away a crucial piece of information. She cared about Kylo Ren – and Kylo about her.

OoOoO

Kylo noticed how pale she looked, how much her shoulders were tensed and felt a sting of guilt. He noticed the ornamental stitching in the black fabric of her cape, realizing she must have done it herself. Black on black, still the detail that fell into his eye. Even locked in this cage, she was searching for beauty, thriving to make things better.
It was a harsh contrast to the events of the last two days. After attacking the village Tuanul, killing San Tekka and retrieving the information about the droid, he had returned to the Finalizer with Poe, only to have him escape. After the fight with the knights Kylo had given her the days off. He noticed she was frail lately, with blue circles under her eyes and a returning stomach condition. But after what he'd put her through, he couldn't hold it against her.

Athena shrieked as Kylo walked up behind her. Officer Korr – if that was even her real name – had managed to truly get into her head. The woman had very quickly figured out one of Athena's most fatal flaws: She was never truly picking a side, always staying flexible enough to come out alive in the end. But Athena couldn't be Kylo's lover, apprentice, and enemy of the First Order at the same time. The more she learned about the Order, the more she understood the Resistance. Then again, she would do anything to keep him save.

"I've missed you," he said and kissed her on the lips, ignoring bypassing officers and stormtroopers. As always, his warm lips made her forget her surroundings. His hands wandered down her waist, pressing her closer. His familiar scent made her body relax into his arms. He was this inevitable force of nature she couldn't escape, that made her feel powerful and raw at the same time. Kylo wasn't just a handsome men, he was wine mixed with honey and smoke, intoxicating and bittersweet. Against any reason, she wasn't only playing with fire anymore, she had completed embraced the fact that they were burning.

"I have something for you," he muttered, reaching in his pocket, and retrieving a small object. It was a small glowing crystal. He softly grabbed Athena's hand and put the crystal inside it, closing her fingers around it. His hand wrapped around hers completely.

"It's a kybercrystal. You can change the crystal of your grandfather's lightsaber and make it your own."

Athena's mouth opened. She knew how rare those crystals were. Her eyes filled with tears.

"What if it's not red?" she breathed. To her it was clear it wouldn't be red. But she wasn't sure it would be blue either. Maybe she was doomed to be nothing, bland, torn between sides.

"It doesn't matter. Not to me. You'll always be mine," Kylo wiped away her tears with his gloved fingers, softly touching her face. "What's wrong?" he asked, frowning.

"I have to tell you something. I identified a spy of the rebellion."

We're coming closer to the plot of the movies ;) Thank you so much for your reviews!